Previously, many types of pots and containers have been used in endeavoring to provide an effective means to infuse coffee and tea with hot water and separate the grounds and leafs from the brewed beverage. In most cases removal of the spent coffee grinds or tea leafs is required prior to pouring.
The prior art listed below did not disclose patents that possess any of the novelty of the instant invention; however the following U.S. patents are considered related:
Patent No.InventorIssue Date4,498,375BediniFeb. 12, 19854,997,820LinDec. 18, 1990Des. 336,567GoldsteinJun. 22, 19935,570,623LinNov. 5, 19965,947,004HuangSep. 7, 19996,732,635Jensen et al.May 11, 2004
Bedini in U.S. Pat. No. 4,498,375 teaches an automatic coffee pot having a filter basket with a telescoping tube disposed over a hollow tube in an upper chamber of the pot allowing cream to be poured into the upper chamber for making cappuccino.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,997,820 issued to Lin is for a brewer that includes a container having an open upper end and a smaller sized retainer cup having a flange on top with two notches therein. Holes are formed in the retainer and the notches are engageable with one side of the container to support the retainer cup after hot water has been poured over the coffee grinds or tea leafs that have been placed in the retainer allowing the brewed liquid to drain into the container.
Lin in U.S. Pat. No. 5,570,623 teaches a heat retaining coffee pot having a tubular housing into which a hollow thermal insulating jacket is received with a glass container disposed in the jacket. A lid is fitted in the top of the tubular housing and consists of an outer and inner cover. A filter unit has a bottom portion and top portion with a mediate portion slideably extending through the lid.
Huang in U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,004 discloses a device for infusing tea and coffee that consists of a container, a first inner cup suspended in the container and a second inner cup suspended in the first cup covered with a lid. The second inner cup incorporates a filter and a stopper in a center portion when hot water is poured over the coffee or tea infusion takes place and drains into the container. The second inner cup is rotated and the passage is closed with a stopper placed therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,732,635 issued to Jensen et al. is for a coffee pot having a strainer bag extending into the pot. Ground coffee is poured into the pot and then hot water is poured there over allowing extraction to take place in the pot. When the brewed coffee is poured out the grounds are retained by the strainer bag
For background purposes and as indicative of the art to which the invention is related reference may be made to the remaining cited Design Pat. No. Des. 336.567 issued to Goldstein.